I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9055 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in 

the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating 

to memorial affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 18, 2024 

Mr. PAPPAS (for himself and Mr. MOYLAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain 

improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary 

of Veterans Affairs relating to memorial affairs, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans’ Burial Im5 provement Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN BURIAL 

2 BENEFITS FOR SPOUSES AND CHILDREN 

3 WHO PREDECEASE MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 

4 FORCES SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY. 

5 (a) PROVISION OF HEADSTONES AND MARKERS.— 

6 Section 2306(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is 

7 amended— 

8 (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘if such 

9 death occurs before October 1, 2024’’; and 

10 (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘if such 

11 death occurs before October 1, 2024’’. 

12 (b) INTERMENT IN NATIONAL CEMETERIES.—Sec13 tion 2402(a)(5) of title 38, United States Code, is amend14 ed by striking ‘‘if such death occurs before October 1, 

15 2024’’. 

16 SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROVISION 

17 OF TRANSPORTATION FOR DECEASED VET18 ERANS. 

19 (a) TRANSPORTATION OF DECEASED VETERANS.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 2308 of title 38, 

21 United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

22 ‘‘§ 2308. Transportation of deceased veterans for bur23 ial 

24 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may pay, in addi25 tion to any amount paid under this chapter, the cost of 


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1 transportation of a deceased veteran for burial in accord2 ance with this section. 

3 ‘‘(b) TRANSPORTATION ALLOWANCE.—(1) In the 

4 case of the transportation of a covered deceased veteran 

5 for burial in a covered veterans’ cemetery, the Secretary 

6 may pay a transportation allowance of $745 (as increased 

7 from time to time under paragraph (3). 

8 ‘‘(2) In the case of a covered deceased veteran who 

9 did not die in a State and for whom the actual cost of 

10 transporting the veteran from the place of death to the 

11 covered cemetery exceeds the amount of the transportation 

12 allowance in effect under paragraph (1), the Secretary 

13 may also pay an additional amount equal to the difference 

14 between such transportation allowance and the actual cost 

15 of transporting the veteran. The amount of any payment 

16 under this paragraph may not exceed the difference be17 tween such transportation allowance and the actual cost 

18 of transporting the veteran to the national cemetery near19 est the veteran’s last place of residence in which burial 

20 space is available. 

21 ‘‘(3) With respect to any fiscal year, the Secretary 

22 shall provide a percentage increase (rounded to the near23 est dollar) in the amount of the transportation allowance 

24 payable under paragraph (1) that is equal to the percent25 age by which— 


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1 ‘‘(A) the Consumer Price Index (all items, 

2 United States city average) for the 12–month period 

3 ending on the June 30 preceding the beginning of 

4 the fiscal year for which the increase is made, ex5 ceeds 

6 ‘‘(B) such Consumer Price Index for the 12- 

7 month period preceding the 12–month period de8 scribed in subparagraph (A). 

9 ‘‘(c) DEATHS IN COVERED FACILITIES.—(1) Except 

10 as provided in paragraph (2), in the case of a veteran who 

11 dies in a covered facility located in a State, the Secretary 

12 shall pay the actual cost to transport the body to the place 

13 of burial, if the place of burial is located in the same or 

14 any other State. 

15 ‘‘(2) In the case of a veterans who is eligible for pay16 ment under both paragraph (1) and subsection (b), the 

17 amount payable under paragraph (1) may not exceed the 

18 difference between the amount of the transportation allow19 ance in effect under subsection (b)(1) and the actual cost 

20 of transporting the veteran to the place of burial. 

21 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

22 ‘‘(1) The term ‘covered deceased veteran’ means 

23 any of the following deceased veterans: 

24 ‘‘(A) A veteran who dies as the result of a 

25 service-connected disability. 


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1 ‘‘(B) A veteran who dies while in receipt of 

2 disability compensation (or who but for the re3 ceipt of retirement pay or pension under this 

4 title, would have been entitled to compensation). 

5 ‘‘(C) A veteran whom the Secretary deter6 mines is eligible for funeral expenses under this 

7 chapter by virtue of the Secretary determining 

8 that the veteran has no next of kin or other 

9 person claiming the body of such veteran and 

10 that there are not available sufficient resources 

11 to cover burial and funeral expenses for the vet12 eran. 

13 ‘‘(2) The term ‘covered facility’ means— 

14 ‘‘(A) a facility of the Department (as de15 fined in section 1701(3) of this title) to which 

16 the deceased veteran was properly admitted for 

17 hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care 

18 under section 1710 or 1711(a) of this title; or 

19 ‘‘(B) an institution at which the deceased 

20 veteran was, at the time of death, receiving— 

21 ‘‘(i) hospital care in accordance with 

22 sections 1703A, 8111, and 8153 of this 

23 title; 

24 ‘‘(ii) nursing home care under section 

25 1720 of this title; or 


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1 ‘‘(iii) nursing home care for which 

2 payments are made under section 1741 of 

3 this title. 

4 ‘‘(3) The term ‘covered veterans’ cemetery’ 

5 means a veterans’ cemetery— 

6 ‘‘(A) in which a covered veteran is eligible 

7 to be buried; and 

8 ‘‘(B) that— 

9 ‘‘(i) in the case of deaths occurring 

10 before January 5, 2023— 

11 ‘‘(I) is owned by a State; or 

12 ‘‘(II) is on trust land owned by, 

13 or held in trust for, a tribal organiza14 tion; or 

15 ‘‘(ii) in the case of deaths occurring 

16 on or after January 5, 2023— 

17 ‘‘(I) is a national cemetery; 

18 ‘‘(II) is owned by a State; or 

19 ‘‘(III) is on trust land owned by, 

20 or held in trust for, a tribal organiza21 tion.’’. 

22 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec23 tions at the beginning of chapter 23 of such title is 

24 amended by striking the item relating to section 

25 2308 and inserting the following new item: 

‘‘2308. Transportation of deceased veterans for burial.’’. 


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1 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Such title is fur2 ther amended— 

3 (1) by striking paragraph (1) of section 

4 2303(a) and inserting the following new paragraph 

5 (1): 

6 ‘‘(1) When a veteran described in paragraph (2) dies, 

7 the Secretary shall pay the actual cost (not to exceed $700 

8 (as increased from time to time under subsection (c))) of 

9 the burial and funeral or, within such limits, may make 

10 contracts for such services without regard to the laws re11 quiring advertisement for proposals for supplies and serv12 ices for the Department.’’; and 

13 (2) in section 101(20), by striking ‘‘section 

14 2303’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 2303 and 2308’’. 

15 SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF TIME LIMITATION ON CERTAIN 

16 BURIAL BENEFITS FOR MEDAL OF HONOR 

17 RECIPIENTS. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (d)(5)(C) of section 

19 2306 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— 

20 (1) by striking clause (i); and 

21 (2) by redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as 

22 clauses (i) and (ii), respectively. 

23 (b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Such section is fur24 ther amended by striking ‘‘section 491 of title 14’’ each 

25 place it appears and inserting ‘‘section 2732 of title 14’’. 


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1 SEC. 5. PROVISION OF GROUP BURIAL MARKERS. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2306 of title 38, United 

3 States Code, is further amended— 

4 (1) by redesignating subsection (k) as sub5 section (l); and 

6 (2) by inserting after subsection (j) the fol7 lowing new subsection (k): 

8 ‘‘(k)(1) Under such regulations as the Secretary may 

9 prescribe, in lieu of a headstone or marker for an indi10 vidual described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection 

11 (a), the Secretary may furnish a group headstone or mark12 er at a burial location containing the remains of multiple 

13 such individuals. 

14 ‘‘(2) If the Secretary furnishes a group headstone or 

15 marker under paragraph (1) for a group of individuals de16 scribed in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a) at 

17 a burial location containing the remains of multiple such 

18 individuals, the Secretary may not furnish a new or re19 placement burial or memorial headstone or marker for any 

20 individual whose remains are determined to be interred at 

21 that burial location. 

22 ‘‘(3) In the case of an individual who is interred at 

23 a burial location marked by a group headstone or marker 

24 under paragraph (1), but for whom the Secretary provided 

25 an individual headstone or marker before the date of the 

26 enactment of this subsection, such individual headstone or 


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1 marker may remain in place after the placement of the 

2 group headstone or marker. 

3 ‘‘(4) The Secretary may provide a group headstone 

4 or marker under paragraph (1) at a burial location that 

5 is not unmarked, if the Secretary determines that a group 

6 headstone or marker at that burial location would assist 

7 visitors in understanding or appreciating the significance 

8 of the burial location. 

9 ‘‘(5) Any group headstone or marker provided under 

10 this subsection shall be provided in coordination with, and 

11 with the approval of, the owner of the property on which 

12 the burial location is located. 

13 ‘‘(6) Subject to any required consultation with, and 

14 approval by, an appropriate historical preservation author15 ity, the Secretary shall make all determinations regarding 

16 the appearance of a group headstone or marker provided 

17 under paragraph (1), including the size of, the material 

18 used for, and the content of the inscription on the marker. 

19 ‘‘(7) A group headstone or marker furnished under 

20 paragraph (1) may not include in the inscription the name 

21 of a person described in section 2411(b) of this title.’’. 

22 (b) NONELIGIBILITY OF PARENTS OF CERTAIN DE23 CEASED VETERANS.—Subsection (a)(2) of such section is 

24 amended by striking ‘‘and (6)’’ and inserting ‘‘(6), and 

25 (9)’’. 


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1 SEC. 6. BURIAL OR INTERMENT OF CERTAIN ADDITIONAL 

2 PERSON IN CEMETERIES THAT ACCEPT DE3 PARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PLOT OR 

4 INTERMENT ALLOWANCE. 

5 Section 2303(b)(1) of title 38, United States Code 

6 is amended— 

7 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 

8 (A) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

9 end; 

10 (B) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘and’’ and 

11 inserting ‘‘or’’; and 

12 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

13 clause: 

14 ‘‘(iv) veterans who were discharged or 

15 released from service under conditions 

16 other than dishonorable and who would be 

17 eligible for burial in a national cemetery 

18 but for the minimum active duty service 

19 requirements under section 5303A of this 

20 title and the spouses and dependent chil21 dren of such veterans; and’’; and 

22 (2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking the pe23 riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’. 

Æ 


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